Method and system for producing blended textile fibrous materials

ABSTRACT

A method and a system for producing blended textile fibrous materials including first and second opening and blending lines with each line comprising means for forming opened fiber into a substantially uniform batt and means for pulling tufts of fiber from the batts. Tufts of fiber pulled from each of the batts are suspended in an airstream and the airstreams for each fiber are combined for blending and transportation purposes.

United States Patent 1 Roberson 1 June 17, 1975 METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING BLENDED TEXTILE FIBROUS MATERIALS [75] Inventor: James H. Roberson, Greenville, SC.

[73] Assignee: Crompton & Knowles Corporation,

Worchester, Mass.

22 Filed: Oct. 23,1973

211 App]. No.: 408,951

52 us. C1 19/145.5; 19/240 51 1111.01. DOlg 13/00 58 Field of Search 19/204, 205, 97.5, 145.5,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,010,161 11/1961 Duvall 19/145.5 X 3,293,700 12/1966 Smith 19/l45.5 X 3,381,341 5/1968 Platt et a1 19/80 R 3,562,866 2/1971 Roberson et a1 19/240 3,709,406 1/1973 Binder et a1. 19/240 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 807,515 7 1/1959 United Kingdom 19/205 1,1 13,033 5/1968 United Kingdom 19/105 Primary ExaminerDorsey Newton [57] ABSTRACT A method and a system for producing blended textile fibrous materials including first and second opening and blending lines with each line comprising means for forming opened fiber into a substantially uniform batt and means for pulling tufts of fiber from the batts. Tufts of fiber pulled from each of the batts are suspended in an airstream and the airstreams for each fiber are combined for blending and transportation purposes.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING BLENDED TEXTILE FIBROUS MATERIALS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In past blending systems it has been common to sandwich batts or layers of diverse fibers and to then draw or pull tufts of fibers from across each of said layers for purposes of blending. This has hadthe disadvantage .of pulling fibers from first onelayer and another. thereby retaining said fibersin -'a stratified. condition and does not result in intimate mixing of the various fiber components.

Another common method of producing blended fibers pulled from the various components, that is, fibers pulled from thefirst chute are in one layer whereas fibers pulled from the second chute will be in a layer overlying the first, and so on. While this method might result in an overall uniform mixture or blend, individual small samples may vary greatly from one to the other which causes long and short term blend variations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The construction and operation of the system forming the subject matter of the present invention will be fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the overall blending system;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the lap forming and density control mechanism seen in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV IV of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to FIG: 1' in which is diagrammatically portrayed the improved system for opening and blending fibers.

This system comprises a first opening and blending line 10 for opening and blending a first fiber and for. feeding fiber pulled therefrom, ina manner to be described in more detail hereinafter, into a blending duct 16. It also includes a second opening and blending line 12 similar or identical to opening and blending line 10 for opening and blending a second fiber and for feeding tufts therefrom into blending duct 16. The system also includes a third chute feed opener 14 which receives precleaned fiber, from a cleaning machine not shown, forms it into a batt, pulls individual tufts therefrom and feeds them into blending duct 16 withthe result that the fibrous tufts pulled from opening and blending lines and 12 and chute feed opener 14 are intimately in termixed and blended while suspended in the fluid stream in blending duct 16 The intimate mixture is then transported through transporting duct 18 to pro cessing machines for 'further processing into laps, sIiv ers, etc., by means of a fan, not shown which createsa negative pressure in duct 16. v

Each of the lines 10 and 12 comprise themechanism shown in more detail in FIG. 2. As seen therein, slabs 22 of a single fiber are laid onto a feed apron 20 which feeds them underneath a spring-loaded fiber holding roll 24 to a spiked apron 26. It should be understood that while fiber slabs 22 are all of the same fiberthey are taken from various batches or bales so as to provide uniformity of said fiber. Spiked apron 26 pulls tufts of fibers from each of the slabs 22 and feeds them towards a chute 42. Near the top of the spiked apron 26 is a comb roll 28 for combing or removing excess fibers from spiked apron 26. These fibers are combed off of the spiked apron and are deposited in the form ofa reserve ball 30 into a reserve hopper defined by rake or wall 32. Rake 32 is pivoted at 34 and is spring-loaded to urge it towards the spiked apron. As fibrous ball 30 becomes larger it forces rake 32 to pivot awayfrom spiked apron 26 thereby closing aswitch 38. Switch 38 is connected to the drive for feed apron 20 and fiber holding roll 24 so that when switch 38 is closed, apron 20 will cease feeding fiber to spiked apron 26. Spiked apron 26 will then draw all of its fibers from reserve ball 30 until such time as the reserve ball is reduced in size to open switch. 38 thereby causing apron 2Q to again feed fibers to the spiked apron 26. Control mechanism for controlling the advancing or driveof feed apron 20 is well known and it is not feltnecessary t o il lustrate such mechanism herein as it would be obvious to one skilled in the art.

. Fiber which is fed by spiked apron 26 past the combing roll 28, is doffed from the spiked apron by means of a doffer roll 40 into a vertical chute 42. Vertical chute 42 has a fixed wall- 44 at the front thereof and the conventional spanker plate or wall 46 at the back. As is well known, spanker plate 46 vibrates to compact the fiber received in the chute and to cause it to advance towards its outlet. 1 I

Near the top of the chute is disposed a photo-electric cell 50 and a light source 52 for regulating the level of fiber within chute 42. Whenever fiber in chute 42interrupts the light beam from light source 52 to the photoelectric cell 50, control mechanism, not.shown,ris act ivated to stop feed apron 20 and spiked apron 26 from feeding additional fiber into said chute until such time as the level of fiber againfalls below the level of light measured by photo-electriccell 5.0. The conventional control mechanism includes a built-in electronic time delay which prevents chatter or unnecessary-start/ stop of spiked apron as the falling tuftsinterrupt the light beam.

as seen in more detail in 3. Stuffing rolls 54, are

3 driven byavariable speed device 68. Delivery roll 58 is mounted for'rotation in fixed bearings 59 whereas delivery roll 56 is mounted in spring-loaded bearings 57. Also attached to bearings 57 is a movable core 66 of a variable transformer 64. As the fiber density between rolls 56 and 58 varies the position of the movable core 66 in the variable transformer 64 and will, in a manner well known in the art, produce a variable signal for controlling the variable drive means 68. This, in turn, will vary the speed of stuffing rolls 54 so as to feed more or less fiber as required to maintain a uniform density of material between rolls 56 and 58. Accordingly, the batt formed or shaped between rolls 56 and 58 will be of a uniform density as predetermined. In order to change the amount of fiber fed by line 10 or any of the other lines, for that matter, it is necessary onlyto change the rotational speed of delivery rolls 56 and 58 by means of suitable change gears or the like.

Delivery rolls 56 and 58 should be as close to rolls 54 as possible, but the distance between their axes should always exceed the length of the fiber being processed.

Turning again to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the batt formed between rolls 56 and 58 is fed into the path of a'rotary beater 60 which has a plurality of teeth thereon for pulling individual tufts of fiber from the batt formed between "rolls 56 and 58. These tufts f fiber are then doffed from the rotary beater by means of air currents entering the housing of the beater at opening 63 which combine with the centrifugal force of the beater to propel the fibrous tufts into blending duct 16. Blending duct l6"is connected'to a fan or the like, not shown, which creates anegative pressure therein and transports the fiber received from opening and blending line 10 in the direction of the arrows towards opening and blending line 12 where tufts of fibers pulled by the rotary beater of opening and blending line 12 are also deposited into'du'ct l6 and intimately blended with fiber from opening and blending 10.

The fiber from line 10 and the fiber from line 12 will have diversecharacteristics, that is, one might be one synthetic whereas the other might be a different synthetic or even a natural fiber or merely different types of the same synthetic fiber'as desired by those using the system.

FIG. 4 shows in detail the chute feed opener 14 which receives precleaned fiber from the opening room or the like through a supply duct 70. This-fiber is fed into a chute 42' which comprises a fixed wall 44 and the conventional spanker wall or plate 46. This mechanism also includes a photo-electric cell 50' and a light source 52 located near the top of the chute for maintaining a constant level of fiber therein in the same manner as described hereinabove with regard to FIG. 2. When the level exceeds that predetermined so as to interrupt a light beam passing from light source 52 to photo-electric cell 50, supply of fiber from supply duct 70 is interrupted. g

Fiber accumulated in chute '42 is received by stuffing rolls 54 which then feedit to delivery rolls 56 and 58 which operate as did the stuffing rolls and delivery rolls of FIG. 2 to form a uniform batt of fibers. Rotary beater 60 pulls individual tufts of fiber from the batt formed by delivery rolls 56' and 58' and propels them into blending duct 16 where they intersect with, and intimately blend and mix with fiber already in said duct from opening and blending lines 10 and 12. Fibers received from chute feed opener 14 will be diverse from those received from opening and blending lines 10 and 12 so that an intimate mixture or blend of all three fiber components is then fed through transporting duct 18 to further processing equipment.

Although a certain combination of equipment has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that the various components can be varied and that the invention therefore is not to be restricted other than by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A system for producing blended textile fibrous materials comprising:

I. an elongated duct having a first side opening and a second side opening spaced from said first opening lengthwise of said duct;

"II. a first opening and blending line for a first fiber in- 'cluding:

a. means for forming a first fibrous batt; I

b. means for feeding a first fiber to said first batt forming means;

c. means for measuring the density of the batt as it is being formed and for controlling the density of fiber between said first batt forming means and said first feeding means, whereby a substantially uniform first batt is formed; and I d. beater means located outside of said duct adjacent said first opening and said first batt forming means for pulling tufts from said first batt and propelling them into said duct through said first opening; 1

III. a second opening and blending line for a second fiber including:

a. means for forming a second fibrous batt;

b. means for feeding a second fiber to said second batt forming means;

c. means for measuring the density of the batt as it is being formed and for controlling the density of fiber between said second batt forming means and said second feeding means, whereby a substantially uniform second batt is formed;

(1. beater means located outside of said duct adja cent said second opening and said second batt forming means for pulling tufts from said second .batt and propelling them into said duct through said second opening; and

IV. means for creating a negative pressure in said duct to create an air flow from said first opening to said second opening, whereby tufts of fibers from said first batt are blended with tufts of fibers from said second batt.

2. A system for producing blended fibrous materials as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beater means for pulling tufts of fibers from said first batt comprises a rotary beater.

3. A system for producing blended fibrous materials as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beater means for pulling tufts of fibers from said second batt comprises a rotary beater.

4. A system for producing blended textile fibrous material as set forth in claim 1 also including a third opening and blending line including:

a. means-for forming a substantially uniform batt of a third fiber;

'b. means for pulling tufts of fiber from said batt; and

0. means connecting said third opening and blending line to said duct means.

5. A system for producing blended textile fibrous material as set forth in claim 4 wherein said third opening and blending line comprises means for measuring and controlling the density of said batt.

6. A system for producing and blending fibrous materials as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for feeding said first fiber are stuffing means, the means for forming said first batt of fiber are spaced delivery rolls, and the means for measuring and controlling the density of said first batt comprises: i

a. variable drive means for driving said stuffing means;

b. means for measuring the density of fibrous material passing between said delivery rolls and for generating a signal corresponding to the density measured; and

c. control means responsive to said signal for controlling said variable drive means, whereby said stuffing means maintains a substantially uniform density of fibrous material between said delivery rolls.

7. A system for producing and blending fibrous materials as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for feeding said second fiber are stuffing means, the means for forming said second batt of fiber are spaced delivery rolls, and the means for measuring and controlling the density of said second batt comprises:

a. variable drive means for driving said stuffing means;

b. means for measuring the density of fibrous material passing between said delivery rolls and for generating a signal corresponding to the density measured; and v c. control means responsive to said signal for controlling said variable drive means, whereby said stuffing means maintains a substantially uniform density of fibrous material between said delivery rolls.

8. A method of producing blended textile fibrous ma- 5 terial in a pneumatic duct comprising:

a. creating a sub-atmospheric pressure at one end of said duct to create an air flow therein;

b. opening and blending a first fibrous material;

c. feeding said opened and blended first fibrous material to a first batt forming apparatus;

d. forming a first batt of said first fibrous material while measuring and controlling the density of said fibrous material, whereby a substantially uniform first batt is formed;

e. pulling tufts from said first batt;

f. depositing said tufts into said duct at a first point so that said tufts are released into said air stream as soon as they enter said duct;

g. opening and blending a second fibrous material;

h, feeding said opened and blended second fibrous material to a second batt forming apparatus;

i. forming a second batt of said second fibrous material while measuring and controlling the density of said fibrous material, whereby a substantially uniform second batt is formed;

j. pulling tufts from said second batt; and

k. depositing the tufts from said second batt into said duct at a second point downstream of said first point so that said tufts are released into said air stream as soon as they enter said duct, whereby tufts from said first batt merge with tufts from said second batt and are blended together. 

1. A system for producing blended textile fibrous materials comprising: I. an elongated duct having a first side opening and a second side opening spaced from said first opening lengthwise of said duct; II. a first opening and blending line for A first fiber including: a. means for forming a first fibrous batt; b. means for feeding a first fiber to said first batt forming means; c. means for measuring the density of the batt as it is being formed and for controlling the density of fiber between said first batt forming means and said first feeding means, whereby a substantially uniform first batt is formed; and d. beater means located outside of said duct adjacent said first opening and said first batt forming means for pulling tufts from said first batt and propelling them into said duct through said first opening; III. a second opening and blending line for a second fiber including: a. means for forming a second fibrous batt; b. means for feeding a second fiber to said second batt forming means; c. means for measuring the density of the batt as it is being formed and for controlling the density of fiber between said second batt forming means and said second feeding means, whereby a substantially uniform second batt is formed; d. beater means located outside of said duct adjacent said second opening and said second batt forming means for pulling tufts from said second batt and propelling them into said duct through said second opening; and IV. means for creating a negative pressure in said duct to create an air flow from said first opening to said second opening, whereby tufts of fibers from said first batt are blended with tufts of fibers from said second batt.
 2. A system for producing blended fibrous materials as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beater means for pulling tufts of fibers from said first batt comprises a rotary beater.
 3. A system for producing blended fibrous materials as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beater means for pulling tufts of fibers from said second batt comprises a rotary beater.
 4. A system for producing blended textile fibrous material as set forth in claim 1 also including a third opening and blending line including: a. means for forming a substantially uniform batt of a third fiber; b. means for pulling tufts of fiber from said batt; and c. means connecting said third opening and blending line to said duct means.
 5. A system for producing blended textile fibrous material as set forth in claim 4 wherein said third opening and blending line comprises means for measuring and controlling the density of said batt.
 6. A system for producing and blending fibrous materials as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for feeding said first fiber are stuffing means, the means for forming said first batt of fiber are spaced delivery rolls, and the means for measuring and controlling the density of said first batt comprises: a. variable drive means for driving said stuffing means; b. means for measuring the density of fibrous material passing between said delivery rolls and for generating a signal corresponding to the density measured; and c. control means responsive to said signal for controlling said variable drive means, whereby said stuffing means maintains a substantially uniform density of fibrous material between said delivery rolls.
 7. A system for producing and blending fibrous materials as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for feeding said second fiber are stuffing means, the means for forming said second batt of fiber are spaced delivery rolls, and the means for measuring and controlling the density of said second batt comprises: a. variable drive means for driving said stuffing means; b. means for measuring the density of fibrous material passing between said delivery rolls and for generating a signal corresponding to the density measured; and c. control means responsive to said signal for controlling said variable drive means, whereby said stuffing means maintains a substantially uniform density of fibrous material between said delivery rolls.
 8. A method of producing blended textile fibrous material in a pneumatic duct comprisinG: a. creating a sub-atmospheric pressure at one end of said duct to create an air flow therein; b. opening and blending a first fibrous material; c. feeding said opened and blended first fibrous material to a first batt forming apparatus; d. forming a first batt of said first fibrous material while measuring and controlling the density of said fibrous material, whereby a substantially uniform first batt is formed; e. pulling tufts from said first batt; f. depositing said tufts into said duct at a first point so that said tufts are released into said air stream as soon as they enter said duct; g. opening and blending a second fibrous material; h. feeding said opened and blended second fibrous material to a second batt forming apparatus; i. forming a second batt of said second fibrous material while measuring and controlling the density of said fibrous material, whereby a substantially uniform second batt is formed; j. pulling tufts from said second batt; and k. depositing the tufts from said second batt into said duct at a second point downstream of said first point so that said tufts are released into said air stream as soon as they enter said duct, whereby tufts from said first batt merge with tufts from said second batt and are blended together. 